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Pillar: SystemDev

Buffering Climate Extremes in Zambia: The Essential Role of Delivery with a Difference

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs, Features.

Dr Sieg Snapp is Program Director, Sustainable Agrifood Systems, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)

Climate change is upending weather patterns across Africa, presenting dire challenges for farming communities. In Zambia, the impact is particularly harsh. Agriculture is the lifeblood of the economy, with two-thirds of the country’s workforce employed in agriculture, and 78% of these workers are women.

The country faced a severe El Niño during the 2023/2024 season, causing a severe drought that devastated over 1 million hectares of cropland. The president declared it a national disaster. El Niño events typically result in catastrophic drops in crop yields, often reducing maize harvests by 30-40%. These events not only impact food security but also hinder economic growth, with the agricultural sector’s contribution to Zambia’s GDP dropping from 9.4% to 3.39%.

The devastating El Niño-induced drought in Zambia is starkly illustrated by the story of Melody Limweta, a 31-year-old farmer. She and her husband, Collins Manenekela, have seen their already fragile livelihood pushed to the brink by severe water shortages. Typically, they rely on dry season gardening and small-scale farming, including raising chickens, during the rainy season. However, the drought has dried up local water sources, making gardening impossible and sharply reducing their income. The couple’s practice of planting maize in the same field each year with recycled seeds and traditional methods has worsened their situation, as the El Niño-induced rainfall deficits have led to poor yields. Their primary source of food and income has withered in the field due to insufficient rainfall.

A consortium of partners led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) have joined together as a rapid delivery hub for these challenging times, providing vital support to rural communities and families such as Melody and Collins. Farmers have a strong voice in this unique delivery mode. With support from the people of the U.S. government, the Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) is promoting access to drought-tolerant crops, climate-busting and nutritious legume seeds, agricultural advice and early warning systems to combat climate change. AID-I provides critical support to ensure that millions of smallholder farmers in the Haut-Katanga region of DR Congo, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia have access to information and innovations needed for gains in food production that help buffer drought, flood and rising food, fuel, and fertilizer prices.

Speed and Scale: planting drought-tolerant maize

The idea of the ADI-I as a rapid delivery hub is to make available innovations and agronomic information at both speed and scale. Traditional farming methods and crops struggle with climate extremes like El Niño, which bring prolonged dry spells and heatwaves. Drought-tolerant maize varieties offer a promising solution by enhancing agricultural resilience. These adapted maize varieties yield 30-50% more than traditional ones under drought conditions, as demonstrated in recent trials during El Niño periods. However, these improved varieties are only useful when in farmers’ hands.

Working with local partners, AID-I is scaling drought-tolerant maize varieties to help Zambian farmers manage unpredictable weather patterns. In the 2023/2024 season, approximately 27% of Zambia’s smallholder farmers saw a significant boost in their maize harvests, benefiting over 900 thousand people in drought-affected regions, owing to drought-tolerant maize varieties. Over six hundred thousand households planted drought-tolerant maize varieties and produced 235 thousand metric tons of maize, accounting for 19% of Zambia’s maize production in the 2023/2024 season. This is huge return, as only 10% of the maize-growing area being planted with these resilient varieties.

Crop diversification for family nutrition

In addition to drought-tolerant maize, studies indicate that diversifying with legume crops is crucial for managing weather extremes, especially droughts and for improving soil health. Planting legumes helps spread the risk with varied planting and harvest times, cushioning the impact of erratic rainfall on crop yields. Women can feed their families due to crops like peanuts that mature early and need less rainfall. The benefits are sustained over time, as combining legumes with cereals improves overall nutrition and soil health, even amid unpredictable weather.

To support this effort, AID-I linked over 2,000 farmers to high-quality seeds for groundnuts (peanuts) and soybeans. On average, each household harvested about 80 kg of groundnuts and 175 kg of soybeans, earning roughly $75 and $58, respectively. Collectively, this initiative produced about 205 metric tons of these crops, accounting for around 14.3% of Zambia’s total production in the drought-stricken season. Farmers had a voice in choosing which crop varieties to grow through a feedback system called ‘let’s chat’ where with an ordinary flip phone farmers could call in and learn from their neighbour’s recorded commentary and testimonials. For the first time ever, farmers could provide comments on which crops they preferred, providing a lifeline of communication with agritraders, government and agricultural advisors.

A recent assessment found that Zambian women made up 60% of those benefiting from cowpeas, 65% from groundnuts, 62% from soybeans, and 36% from drought-tolerant maize.

Forewarned is forearmed – early-warning systems

Weather information services, especially early warnings about upcoming droughts, are vital for helping farmers adapt to climate change. Accurate and timely weather forecasts enable farmers to make informed decisions about planting, resource use, and crop management. This reduces losses and boosts productivity. Research shows that access to climate information can significantly increase crop yields and incomes, with some farmers experiencing up to a 66% boost in yields and a 24% rise in income.

The forecast of an El Niño for the 2023/2024 season prompted an early warning campaign to raise awareness about the hazards associated with El Niño and provide response mechanisms for smallholder farmers.  AID-I used an Interactive Voice Response platform hosted by Viamo, a global social enterprise that uses mobile technology to connect people to valuable information and services. This rapid El Niño advisory campaign reached over 500 thousand farmers, with 60% male and 40% female listeners, and 93% of them under 35 years old. The campaign provided crucial advice on planting schedules, drought-resistant crops, and water-saving techniques.

Additionally, AID-I established demonstration sites that showcased effective winter crop production methods and introduced over 2,000 farmers to innovative agricultural practices. These interventions significantly improved farmers’ ability to respond to the drought.

Looking ahead

Scaling the adoption of drought-tolerant maize, improved legumes, and timely advisories is vital to protecting Zambia’s agriculture from climate extremes. The introduction of an AID-I-supported digital advisory campaign in September 2023 was a turning point for farmers like Melody and Collins. By engaging with the content, they learned about improved seeds, crop rotation, and better agronomic practices, which helped them cope with ongoing challenges and protect their resources. Initiatives like this can help families on the margins survive and rebuild agricultural production faster.

AID-I’s impact on families like Melody and Collins shows that investing in rapid delivery hubs is crucial for building resilience in farming communities. Expanding such initiatives will ensure more smallholder farmers have access to the innovations needed to maintain or increase food production amid climatic challenges.

Additionally, studies by organizations like Springer and the American Geophysical Union highlight the importance of integrating rapid delivery hubs into mainstream agricultural programs to enhance climate resilience and food security. Therefore, this necessitates an open call for international development allies—including donors, governments, NGOs, and businesses—to incorporate initiatives like AID-I into broader agricultural agendas, essential for fostering resilience and ensuring the future stability of farming communities in Zambia and beyond.

*Dr. Sieg Snapp is a leading agricultural scientist, renowned for creating the “mother and baby” trial design, a global method that enhances farmer-researcher collaboration, improving genetics and soil management in 30 countries. As Program Director at CIMMYT in Mexico, she oversees sustainable agrifood systems research, leading a large team focused on supporting smallholder farmers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Her work emphasizes gender-aware, inclusive development and has fostered partnerships for sustainable agricultural practices. A Professor at Michigan State University with over 180 publications, Dr. Snapp has also significantly influenced agricultural policy and technology adoption in Africa. Her contributions have earned her numerous prestigious awards, and she holds a Ph.D. from the University of California Davis.

Original article published in Pan African Visions

Driving innovation through digital agriculture: Digital Ag Nepal, 2024

Written by dmedina on . Posted in News.

Stakeholder collaboration to create a coherent digital agriculture framework, an ecosystem to promote digital agriculture, and local government participation emerged as top recommendations to bridge the gap between technology and agriculture during the International Digital Agriculture Forum, Nepal 2024, held in Kathmandu, Nepal.  

The event themed “Innovate, Cultivate, Thrive: Advancing Agriculture with Digital Solutions” brought together global and local stakeholders to explore the transformative potential of digital solutions in Nepal’s agricultural sector.  

The focus on addressing the digital divide in Nepal’s agricultural sector by sharing emerging technologies and innovations, generating research ideas to provide inputs to the upcoming digital agriculture strategy of Nepal National Digital Agriculture Strategy and Action Plan for Nepal, and promoting an inclusive and sustainable transformation in the agriculture and food systems of Nepal. 

Over the course of two days, the event attracted 135 participants, including 11 international experts and 29 national experts and representatives. It was organized by the Nepal Seed and Fertilizer Project (NSAF) and implemented by CIMMYT, with support from the United States Agency for Agriculture Development (USAID) in partnership with Pathway Technologies & Services Pvt Ltd, Seed Innovation Pvt Ltd, and Kathmandu Living Labs Pvt Ltd.

Key highlights from the event  

The forum included keynote presentations, success stories of ICT business practices, and panel discussions with global subject experts, industry leaders, government agencies and local agritech companies. The event also comprised breakout groups for in-depth discussions, and formal and informal networking opportunities. 

In his welcome address, Country Representative for Nepal and Coordinator of NSAF Dyutiman Choudhary highlighted the impact of digital agriculture on Nepalese farmers through the NSAF project. He shared how, in partnership with GeoKrishi and PlantSat, farmers now stay more informed on various issues through mobile app, SMS, IVR, farmer advisory services, and crop insurance.  

The opening session was chaired by Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal, secretary, agriculture  development, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD). Keynote speeches included a global perspective on digital agriculture by Prof. Athula Ginige from Western Sydney University, and national perspective by Ms. Shabnam Shivakoti, joint secretary MoALD.  

Prof. Ginige presented on “Cultivating Innovation: Transforming Challenges into a Sustainable Digital Agrifood Future.” He highlighted the plight of 719 million smallholder farmers living below the poverty line and stressed the need to use digital opportunities such as IoT, AI, and big data to address challenges of food waste and climate change. He shared his experience in developing mobile platforms to improve the lives of smallholder farmers.  

In her keynote address Shivakoti set the context of Nepal’s digital agriculture and the initiatives undertaken by the government. She highlighted how digital innovations such as virtual agriculture commodity market E-hatbazar, programs such as digital land record maintenance, remote sensing data, and digital apps like GeoKrishi are driving growth in Nepal’s agricultural sector. She also shared details about the draft National Digital Agriculture Strategy.  

Judith Almodovar, acting director of the Economic Growth Office at USAID-Nepal, emphasized the importance of digital tools in enhancing productivity, efficiency and sustainability. She highlighted USAID’s investment through NSAF in digital innovations, such as seed and soil fertility management using digital tools.  

“By leveraging advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and remote sensing, we can provide real-time insights, improve supply chain management, and increase farmers’ resilience to climate shocks,” she said.  

The forum featured three technical sessions: innovations in digital agriculture; digital agriculture in action—policies and practices and; rapid fire presentations by seven Nepalese digital ag companies. Additionally, six local digital start-up companies displayed their products.  

The closing session was chaired by Dr. Narahari Prasad Ghimire, director general of the Department of Agriculture, while Dr. Rajendra Prasad Mishra, secretary of Livestock Development, was invited as chief guest. 

Recommendations from the forum  

The discussions and deliberations led to a series of recommendations primary among which were the importance of stakeholder collaboration to create a cohesive digital agriculture framework and developing partnerships and ecosystems to support digital agriculture, including data governance and personalized advisory services for farmers. Participants also emphasized that local governments must be encouraged to lead agricultural digitization initiatives, including staff training and adopting IoT-based intelligent irrigation systems, sensor-based drip irrigation, and drone technology for monitoring crops and livestock. Digital input certification and QR-based agri-input verification (seed, breed, saplings, and fertilizer) tracking systems to enhance trust and transparency emerged as a critical factor. Participants agreed that it was necessary to design technical information, including emergency agricultural alerts, in various formats (text, video, audio) to accommodate farmers with lower levels of literacy.  

Watch event video here. 

Enhancing farmer’s crop productivity with resilient maize varieties tailored to their needs

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs.

Dorothy Mandaza, local farmer from ward 19 of Seke District, inspecting her maize cobs (CIMMYT)

Maize productivity in eastern and southern Africa faces numerous challenges, including biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as socio-economic factors. To tackle these constraints, CIMMYT, in collaboration with partners, has been developing elite multiple stress-tolerant maize hybrids for different market segments. The hybrids are rigorously evaluated in research stations under managed stresses, especially those faced by farmers, including drought, heat, and low nitrogen. The process is complemented with evaluations conducted in actual farmer conditions through a participatory approach, which enables researchers to identify traits preferred by farmers.

Over the years, and through consistent engagement with farming communities, CIMMYT and partners have established a large on-farm testing network to allow farmers to test the best-performing hybrids within their own fields and management. This ensures that new varieties selected for commercialization suit the needs, constraints, and priorities of smallholder farmers.

Centrality of ROFT in the variety development process
Regional on-farm trials (ROFTs) are a crucial step towards maximizing the impact of breeding investments. ROFTs help scientists understand the performance of pipeline hybrids under diverse management conditions. The data and insights gathered from these trials, led by district leads, are instrumental in identifying the best varieties to release. In Zimbabwe, the extensive on-farm testing is conducted with support from Zimbabwe’s government extension arm, the Department of Agricultural, Technical, and Extension Services (Agritex), and selected seed companies.

To help track the progress or challenges in varietal performance evaluation at the farm level, CIMMYT has been convening feedback sessions with district agriculture extension officers (DAEOs) across 19 districts. These sessions have been instrumental in strengthening the collaboration with Agritex, standardizing data collection, and improving data quality and returns from the established on-farm testing network.

Conversations with district agriculture extension officers in Harare during a feedback session. (Photo/CIMMYT)

The ROFT trials have been ongoing in Zimbabwe for over a decade across 19 districts, located in natural regions I, II, and III. These trials have been implemented by more than 137 AEOs and have involved over 1,000 farmers. The network deliberately included a diverse range of farmers, with around 40% being female plot managers, to encompass a wide range of smallholder farming practices.

Participatory engagement is key
Every year, CIMMYT produces improved varieties that are then taken up by partners, including National Agricultural Research System (NARS) partners and seed companies. The on-farm trials aim to generate agronomic performance data in comparison to the widely grown commercial varieties and farmers’ own varieties. This data is used for a rigorous advancement process, where varieties that pass the test are then furthered for licensing and possible commercialization by CIMMYT’s partners.

Farmer involvement at the final stage of the variety selection process is key to the success of these trials. Farmers evaluate the varieties based on their specific needs, on their farms. This step is crucial as it empowers farmers to have a say in the variety development process. CIMMYT actively uses this participatory selection approach, seeking input from farmers and refining breeding targets as necessary. Farmers communicate their preferences and feedback through the farmer evaluation sheets, helping breeders fine-tune their targets and develop varieties that meet farmers’ needs.

Another key element of the on-farm trials is that they help assess breeding progress in farmers’ fields in terms of crop productivity and return on investment.

CGIAR launches pilot programme on agroecological solutions

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

CGIAR has launched a pilot program in Zimbabwe’s Mbire and Murehwa districts to promote agroecological solutions, with CIMMYT as a key partner. The initiative aims to develop sustainable farming practices by addressing challenges like pest outbreaks, drought, and access to quality seeds. CIMMYT’s involvement includes introducing innovative technologies such as demonstration plots and seed fairs, designed to enhance agricultural resilience and sustainability in the region. This collaborative effort seeks to empower local farmers and create a more sustainable agricultural system in Zimbabwe.

Read the full story.

How Training Farmers to Produce Improved Seeds helps Mitigating Food Insecurity in the Conflict-Ridden Sudan

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs.

Umm Zeina, a 40-year-old farmer living in El Nahal, in Sudan’s Gadarif State, was not happy with her yield, blaming the poor seeds and traditional techniques she was using. This was until she participated in the extensive seeds production training program organized by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

“We learned a lot on how to produce seeds and how to control the parasite Striga mixed with crops. The training draws our attention to the fact that the availability of quality seed is the foundation for food production and productivity. As traditional farmers, we had very poor information about the availability, characteristics, and prices of seed of improved varieties,” Umm Zeina stressed.

ICRISAT’s extensive training attracted more than 350 (68 female) seed producer farmers from El Fashaga and El Nahal localities aimed at helping seed producers provide seeds of appropriate varieties for use by different categories of farmers. Farmers were also trained in better selection, treatment, and storage of seed from their own farms. The training also focused on the production of disease-free seeds to support agricultural productivity and success. The training helped to enhance farmers’ demand for improved seeds and eventually aimed to deliver improved seeds to more than 6000 farmers in El Fashaga, El Nahal and other neighboring localities.

This training was held as part of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) program, which empowers farmers and herders to reduce the need for humanitarian assistance even in conflict-affected Sudan. In the context of the atrocious food crisis in Sudan, SASAS and partners work to ensure that farmers produce the quality seeds they need to enhance food production amid escalating conflict.

In El Fashaga and El Nahal localities, the seeds production training focused on sorghum, as this crop is widely adapted and drought tolerant as well as it is a staple crop to strengthen food security and contributes to agricultural diversity and economic growth in the regions where it is cultivated.

“During the training, we learnt a lot on how to choose the best seeds to produce improved seeds and how to choose the land, isolation area, and cleanliness to harvest. I was extremely interested to learn more about how to keep the seed to its purest form for replanting purposes and human or animal consumption,” said Tarig Hassan, a farmer living in El Nahal locality.

The seeds production training also aimed at maintaining seeds quality control through training and regulatory systems, and how to multiply and distribute seeds in a timely manner and at a price affordable for farmers. Farmers also learnt to use a revolving seed mechanism to make available seeds for many new seed producer farmers for the next season through farmer-to-farmer seeds distribution.

“The seed production training is not only on how to produce quality seeds and protect loss of seeds, but also about the use of diversified seeds of sorghum, millet and ground nut that serve for both food and nutrition security”, said Gizaw Desta, Senior Scientist in ICRISAT.

SASAS’s objective is to improve food security and access to income-generating opportunities through the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices and the promotion of agri-processing and post-harvest management. It focuses on supporting smallholder crop and livestock farmers to adapt their farming activities to climate change and abiotic pressures by diversifying their crops to further cushion themselves from climatic vagaries, reduce post-harvest loss, and improve market participation, and functionality. Women and youth are supported through training and agricultural and veterinary inputs to increase income generation activities and access to economic resources.

“At SASAS, we strive to train farmers in basic farm seed production. This helps preserve and expand the diversity of the seed on which our food systems in Sudan rely. Considering the dire food security situation in the country, we fully encourage farmers to be engaged in seeds production to provide different and improved seed varieties,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS Chief of Party in Sudan.

SASAS works with ICRISAT to uplift smallholder farmers and ensure food security in semi-arid tropics. SASAS partners are committed to elevating crop productivity, resilience, and sustainability vital to dryland communities’ prosperity. This steadfast commitment profoundly affects millions in the world’s most challenging agricultural regions.

Bridging research and policy: how CIMMYT’s science shapes practice in South Asia

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs.

Science without policy is just academia; policy without science is just guesswork. Through a blend of robust field research and policy advocacy, CIMMYT aims to bridge the gap between policy and practice in promoting sustainable agricultural practices through crop diversification in South Asia.

Taking Bangladesh as an example, CIMMYT’s work in the country highlights the critical need to link research with policy to achieve sustainable agricultural practices, enhance food security, and improve farmer livelihoods.

The power of research-informed policy

Bangladesh’s agriculture is highly rice-centric; although rational, this is risky and arguably unsustainable. This means there needs to be a focus on crop diversification, which is one of the approaches toward sustainable agriculture that can address socioeconomic and environmental challenges.

Recognizing these challenges, CIMMYT has been at the forefront of developing solutions by conducting extensive multi-location on-site and on-farm trials that consider the socioeconomic and pedoclimatic dimensions of farm households.

Additionally, CIMMYT analyzes historical policies and initiatives that have been implemented by the Bangladeshi government and international partners to promote crop diversification. Several opportunities for improvement were identified in past policies and project implementation; addressing these challenges requires bridging the gap between policies and research to scale up crop diversification efforts.

Through the RUPANTAR and CGIAR Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) projects, CIMMYT-Bangladesh has developed an analytical tool to understand the political economy of crop diversification policies and practices. When applied to agriculture policy research, this tool can be tailored to any country and policy context in South Asia.

Problem-solving for sustainable farming

Our policy-specific research, such as “Decoding the reality: Crop diversification and policy in Bangladesh”, has identified areas where policy and practical changes can drive significant improvements.

For example, while the government recognizes crop diversification in its agriculture policies starting with the Fifth Five-Year Plan, substantial funding for crop diversification efforts was only recently allocated. Integration of crop diversification into the government’s annual funding systems is essential to mainstream crop diversification in agriculture.

Many crop diversification policies and projects primarily focus on production, neglecting market systems development for new crops. Similarly, research suggests insufficient attention is paid to cold storage and other infrastructure needed to support diversification.

Most initiatives appear to have been project-driven, resulting in short-lived action without long-lasting impact. Insufficient coordination and support from government agencies appears to have affected projects led by both governments and development partners.

Stakeholder engagement spreads awareness

Without translating research into policy, we leave innovation on the shelf. CIMMYT-Bangladesh disseminates research findings to policymakers through the country Priority Investment Plan for the crop sector at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries through regional consultation workshops on accelerating the transformation process for sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems.

Looking ahead, CIMMYT’s efforts in South Asia remain dedicated to bridging the gap between research and policy. Ongoing projects aim to generate robust evidence, advocate for informed policy decisions, and foster partnerships across sectors. By continuing to lead in this space, CIMMYT strives to contribute to a more resilient agrifood system for South Asia.

African, Chinese stakeholders convene in Kenya amid call to transform food systems

Written by dmedina on . Posted in In the media.

The Africa-China-CIMMYT Science Forum in Nairobi gathered experts from China and Africa to explore strategies for transforming agrifood systems through innovation and cooperation. Organized by CAAS and CIMMYT, the forum emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing food security, rural poverty, and climate resilience in Africa. Key discussions focused on the benefits of technology transfer and research partnerships to support smallholder farmers and advance agricultural modernization across the continent.

Read the full story.

Potential for independent performance information to shape farmers’ seed choice for hybrid maize: Insights from Kenya

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs.

Maize production in Kenya is a critical component of the country’s agriculture and food security. However, climate change poses a serious threat to its production. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can affect maize growth, reduce yields, and increase the incidence of pests and diseases.

Prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall can lead to crop failures, while extreme weather events can damage crops and infrastructure. As the climate continues to change, it is essential for Kenyan farmers to adopt resilient agricultural practices and more adapted seed products to safeguard maize production and ensure food security for the population.

For decades, seed companies as well as governments and donors have invested in maize hybrid breeding. Dozens of new hybrids have been made available to seed companies throughout East Africa for multiplication and distribution. These hybrids are designed and tested to outperform older hybrids in terms of yield under rainfed conditions, to include tolerance to drought and pests.

However, the potential impact of these investments has been hampered by the slow turnover of hybrids among farmers. Research has shown that, despite the availability of newer, higher-performing varieties, farmers tend to purchase older, less productive hybrids. The ‘turnover problem’ in Kenya has been described by CIMMYT researchers in a recent publication.[1]

One of the constraints responsible for the low turnover of varieties is a lack of information among farmers on the performance of the newer products. Despite advancements in the development of new seeds and the retail infrastructure to reach farmers, neither the public nor the private sector is generating and disseminating information on the performance of different maize seed products across various agroecologies. Farmers therefore have choice overload but lack objective information on relative seed performance required to make informed seed choices across seasons and growing conditions.

CIMMYT conducted a field experiment to shed light on the potential influence of seed-product performance information on farmers’ seed choices. The study involved aggregating and packaging farmer reported yield data for some seed products and presenting this to randomly selected farmers at the point of sale to assess whether the new information would influence their choice of products. The study was conducted in Kirinyaga and Embu counties where, like many parts of Kenya, farmers have access to a diverse range of maize seed products from seed companies which promise benefits like higher yields and improved resilience but lack objective information on their performance which could support their choices, including when to switch and to what.

[1] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0030727019900520

 

The experiment

The study was conducted in March 2024, at the onset of the long rain season. The research team collaborated with 36 local agro-dealers in five towns and surveyed over one thousand farmers.  Farmers were intercepted as they approached the agro-dealer outlets and briefed about the study. Upon consent, they were informed on the benefits of trying something new (experimenting with varieties) and  were offered a voucher for one free bag of maize seed to encourage them to try a seed product new to them. They then were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: treatment and comparison. Participants in the treatment group were shown a chart containing product-specific yield data on maize hybrids grown in their counties (see the chart below). The chart contained farmer-reported yields from the previous year’s long rain season aggregated at two levels: county average yield and the average yield of the top 25% of farmers who realized the highest yields. The latter demonstrated the actual potential of a seed product. They were asked that, if they wished, they could choose the voucher product for experimentation from the list but they were not required to. Participants in the comparison group were offered placebo information that would not affect their seed choice: they were given some fun facts about Kenya and agriculture in Kenya. We assess the effect of the information on the choice of the bag of seed they were buying with the voucher to experiment with.

Table 1: Product-specific performance information on maize seed products in Kirinyaga March-August 2023 *actual product names have been removed for this blog*

Before they made any purchases, the customers were asked about which maize seed they intended to buy. After purchase, they were interviewed again to find out which maize seeds they bought and how they had used the voucher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What we found

Majority of the treatment farmers had a very positive evaluation of the information they received, indicating that they found it relevant and useful when making seed choice. Specifically, over 90% of them said that the information was trustworthy and easy to understand while about 80% said that the information was easy to recall. Over 80% of them disagreed that the list of varieties was too long to comprehend, the information on varieties was similar and hard to differentiate and that it was hard for them to choose a variety from the list.

This positive evaluation of the information is also reflected in their seed choices. Pre-purchases (before they entered the agrodealer store), farmers who were exposed to the performance information showed increased certainty in their choices and a higher inclination towards products listed in the product performance data, particularly the top-performing varieties. While 5% of the comparison farmers indicated that they did not know what to buy with their vouchers, only 2% of the treatment farmers suffered the same uncertainty. Such farmers relied mostly on agro-dealers to recommend a product they could experiment with.

As shown by the bar chat below, only 7% of comparison group farmers desired to use their vouchers on (or had an effective demand for) products which were the top two in the product performance lists. This increased to 27% among the information group farmers, representing an increase of 286% in the demand of top performing products.

However, although our intervention relaxed an essential constraint (product performance information) and increased the demand for some seed products, the actual purchases were subject to other constraints, stock-outs key among them. As a result, both groups showed shifts from initially desired products in their actual purchases. Even so, the treatment group maintained a stronger alignment with the listed products, exhibiting a higher likelihood of purchasing top-performing products. Only 5% of farmers in comparison group used their vouchers to purchase products which were top two in the product performance lists. This increased to 13% among farmers in the treatment group, representing a 160% increase in the likelihood of purchasing the best performing products in the lists.

Reflections

Slow varietal turnover among maize farmers in E. Africa is a pervasive problem and there is no one solution to it. This research shows that information on product performance can be an effective approach in bringing to the attention of farmers newer, more adapted and better yielding seed products. Dissemination of such information can be incorporated in extension programs, shared at the point of sale, shared through SMSs and WhatsApp messages, displayed in posters fixed in public places, etc.

The findings offer clear recommendations for future investments in seed systems development. These include the implementation of new product testing regimes to ensure quality and objectivity of performance data, testing what other information would be useful to farmers – beyond yield data, exploring new marketing options to reach farmers more effectively, and considering additional approaches to empower farmers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions thus leading to improved agricultural productivity, resilience, and livelihoods.

Helping farmers access waterlogged agricultural lands amid prevailing food insecurity in Sudan

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

In conflict-ridden Sudan, Gadarif State in Eastern Sudan is the most important region for sorghum production, with about 5-6 million feddan (5.18-6.22 acres) cultivated on an annual basis on large scale farms equipped with agricultural machinery. However, like the country, the state is covered with vertisols, clay-rich soils that shrink and swell with changes in moisture content, that become waterlogged and cannot be properly cultivated during rainy season.

To address the issue, technical experts from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are mapping areas affected by waterlogging in two localities, namely El Fashaga and El Nahal, to identify the most suitable lands to establish large drainage implementing sites integrated with improved crop varieties of sorghum. This work is part of CIMMYT’s Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) program, which works with farmers and herders to reduce their need for humanitarian assistance in conflict-affected Sudan.

“To address the issue of vertisols affected by water logging in Al Gadarif, the prominent agricultural region in Sudan, we used the map developed by ICRISAT in 2023 and consulted with local farmers to identify 100 hectares El Fashaga and El Nahal localities to improve drainage and avoid waterlogging,” said Gizaw Desta, senior scientist at ICRISAT.

Waterlogging is common on poorly drained soil or when heavy soil is compacted, preventing water from being drained away. This leaves no air spaces in the saturated soil, and plant roots literally drown. Waterlogging can be a major constraint to plant growth and production and, under certain conditions, will cause plant death. In Gadarif state, 2.3 million hectares and 1.8 million hectares of vertisols are under high and moderate waterlogging conditions that impair crop production during the rainy season, leading to food insecurity if not reversed with appropriate agricultural practices.

Experts evaluate the compacted soil. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“For years, my farm has been flooded by water during the rainy season, and I cannot cultivate sorghum as plants die of water suffocation”, said Ali Ahmed, a farmer from Al-Saeeda area of ​​Al-Nahal locality who is affected by waterlogging. “Alternatively, we as farmers affected by waterlogging were forced to cultivate watermelon instead of our main staple food sorghum. This shift in the crops we cultivate is hardly affecting our income.  I am glad that ICRISAT is working to establish drainage systems and address waterlogging within our lands.”

“At SASAS, we strive to ensure that farmers have access to fertile lands and other agricultural inputs. We work with our partners to address all problems facing farmers including waterlogging to help farmers continue producing their staple food and cash crops,” said Abdelrahman Kheir, SASAS chief of party in Sudan.

maiz

Helping Colombia’s smallholder farmers to leverage and preserve maize diversity

Written by dmedina on . Posted in Blogs.

In Colombia, maize is the most important cereal, integral to culture, tradition, and diet. In 2019, Colombia consumed 7.2 million tons of maize, a quarter of which was white-grain maize used for human food (the remainder was yellow-grain maize for animal feed, with a small portion for industrial uses). National production is concentrated in the departments of Meta, Tolima, Córdoba, Huila, and Valle del Cauca. Native and creole maize varieties—the latter comprising farmer varieties of mixed native and other ancestries—are grown for use in traditional dishes or for sale at local markets.

Due to climate change, socioeconomic pressures, and the out-migration of smallholder farmers seeking better livelihoods, native maize varieties and the unique genetic qualities those varieties embody are endangered. We aim to design strategies that benefit smallholders who wish to continue in agriculture and perhaps continue growing native varieties valued in their communities, fostering the conservation and production of native maize. CIMMYT in Mexico has already facilitated commercial linkages between chefs in Mexico City and tourist areas (for example, in the states of Oaxaca, Yucatán, and the State of Mexico), sourcing blue maize landrace grain from farmers in mutually beneficial arrangements.

CIMMYT and local partners have launched an ambitious initiative to map and strengthen the value chain of native maize in the departments of Nariño, Cundinamarca, Boyacá, Valle del Cauca, and Putumayo to promote beneficial farmer-market linkages and better understand Colombia’s maize value chain. Carried out under the Nature Positive Initiative of OneCGIAR, the project is documenting maize conservation, marketing, and consumption to design a critical path that strengthens the value chain of Colombian native maize and benefits agriculture and the economy of rural Colombian communities.

Most native maize varieties in Colombia are grown on small plots for home consumption, exchange, and the sale of surplus grain. “The production is planned so that the percentage of sales is lower than consumption,” explains a farmer from Nariño. “Maize grain is sold in traditional markets, typically on Saturdays or Sundays, most often as fresh white and yellow corn.”

In such markets, farmers may also sell their grain to intermediaries, but only in the markets of Nariño is the sale of creole and native maize varieties acknowledged. Varieties include yellow Capia, white Capia, yellow Morocho, and Granizo, with Chulpe being less common. The grain purchased is used to prepare a variety of traditional dishes and beverages.

The most commonly grown varieties are intended for the market and probably the regional and urban cultural groups that consume them, such as in Guaitarilla, Nariño, where large crops of white maize are marketed through intermediaries and traders to satisfy demand.

“A variety that is not widely grown may become more prominent due to market changes—such as the rise of niche markets,” the research team notes. Good examples are the departments of Pasto, Nariño, and Cundinamarca, where maize is increasingly grown to meet demand from buyers of purple or colored maize.

We have already identified several possible niche markets for smallholder maize varieties:

  • Fair trade enterprises. They promote the commercialization of national products at fair prices for farmers, offering maize in various forms from regions such as Boyacá and Cundinamarca.
  • Restaurants. They use maize in traditional dishes, reinterpretations of Colombian cuisine, and culinary experiments.
  • Small-scale local intermediaries. Without a fixed physical space, they distribute products to end users and other businesses.
Callanas and ricota, Pasto, Nariño. (Foto: Andrea Gómez)

Significant challenges may hamper these and other possible market opportunities in the maize value chain. Farmers, for example, face high production costs, climate change losses, competition from neighboring countries, dependence on intermediaries for sales, and a lack of land. For their part, buyers struggle with obtaining consistent production volumes from farmers, lack storage infrastructure, and face postharvest pest and disease management challenges.

While they are compelled by the need to feed their families and, if possible, grow enough grain to sell for a profit, smallholder maize farmers have also expressed interest in preserving maize diversity and their cultural practices.

“We are not interested in growing monocultures for marketing; we grow maize out of love to continue preserving it,” comments a farmer from Nariño. Another farmer adds: “I would grow or sell more if the production were aimed at protecting agrobiodiversity, food security, sovereignty, and preserving cultural practices.”

Focus group with farmers in Córdoba, Nariño on the importance of maize landrace conservation (Picture Janeth Bolaños)

To understand how niche markets could influence the conservation and rescue of native and creole maize in Colombia and, at the same time, design a critical path that strengthens the value chain and promotes fair and efficient niche markets, CIMMYT and its partners are conducting focus group interviews and buyer-meets-seller events. The aim is to mitigate challenges highlighted by the actors and create beneficial conditions for farmers and consumers, promoting a better future for Colombian smallholder farmers.

We deeply thank CIMMYT partners in Colombia for their contributions to this work: Andrea Gomez, Andrea Pinzón, and Jeisson Rodríguez.

Innovating agroecology living landscapes in Zimbabwe

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Local farmers have conversations with the CGIAR Initiative on Agroecology partners in Zimbabwe during the co-designing process. (Photo: CIMMYT)

In the rural districts of Mbire and Murehwa in Zimbabwe, the CGIAR Agroecology Initiative (AE-I) has embarked on a comprehensive strategy that places farmers’ opinions at the heart of interventions to tackle the multifaceted challenges of agroecosystems. Recognizing challenges such as pest and disease outbreaks, periodic drought, inadequate grazing lands, and limited access to quality seeds and livestock breeds, the AE-I team has initiated a collaborative process involving various stakeholders to develop tailored agroecological solutions.

This integrated approach emphasizes active participation and cooperation among agricultural extension services, including the Department of Agricultural Technical and Extension Services of Zimbabwe (AGRITEX), food system actors (FSAs), and technology providers. These organizations have collaborated to form Agroecology Living Landscapes (ALLs) to identify, test, and iterate relevant innovations.

“This collaborative innovation and ongoing co-designing cycle empower local communities and fosters agricultural sustainability, positioning Zimbabwe as a model for agroecology transition,” said Vimbayi Chimonyo, CIMMYT scientist and crop modeler. “With these efforts, the AE-I is improving current agricultural practices but also building a foundation for future resilience in Zimbabwe’s rural districts.”

A representation diagram of the co-designing cycle.

To ensure a well-informed process, the AE-I research team began its efforts by identifying dominant value chains in the two districts. In Murehwa, these included horticulture, maize, groundnuts, and poultry; while in Mbire, sorghum, cotton, and livestock. Challenges noted included production constraints (availability of improved seed and labor), biophysical constraints (water availability, increased incidents of fall armyworm), economic (market access) and social (agency).

Next, the AE-I research team, and the ALLs conducted a series of surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews to understand existing opportunities that might address the challenges and aid in strengthening the value chains. The AE-I team discovered opportunities related to addressing labor shortages and improving access to improved technologies.

As a result, the research team introduced appropriate scale machinery, suggested seed and livestock fairs to increase access to agroecological inputs, established a series of demonstration plots to showcase technologies that improve water use, and increased mitigation efforts for fall armyworm. After introducing machinery, seed and livestock fairs, and testing the technologies during the 2022/23 season, AE-I returned to ALL members to discuss the impact the activities had on their production systems and determine if any modifications were necessary.

Participants suggested increased visibility of the new technologies and methods, so the AE-I team enhanced demonstration plots and added 100 baby plots during the 2023-24 farming season.

Integrating adaptive testing and feedback yielded valuable information from farmers, providing a strong base for further adaptations in the 2023-24 farming season. This continuous engagement promoted adaptive and context-specific solutions within the AE-I, ensuring that interventions aligned with evolving community needs.

Technologies being tested

To achieve the visions of each ALL, context-specific technologies are being tested to ensure synergy across the identified value chains and collaboration among different food system actors.

Technology/Innovation Description
Demo plots 2022-23: Twenty mother plots were established to compare the performance of cereal planted in, push-pull, and conventional practices on productivity, rainwater use efficiency, and pest biocontrol.

2023-24: Additional treatments, including biochar, live mulch, and traditional treatments, were introduced. One hundred eleven baby plots were established where farmers adapted mother protocols to suit their contexts.
Farmer Field Days Conducted for the established demonstration plots in Mbire and Murehwa, these field days showcased the technologies to a broader audience and acted as an agent of evaluation and feedback for the AE-I team.
Mechanization A service provider model was adopted to introduce appropriate scale machinery, addressing the drudgery associated with farming operations. Equipment provided included threshers, basin diggers, two-wheel tractors, rippers, mowers, chopper grinders, and balers. Training on operation, repair, and maintenance was also provided.
Capacity building Yearly work plans, co-designed by ALLs, identification of  training needs, gaps, and priorities. Facilitated by AGRITEX, these trainings equip farmers with knowledge essential to facilitate agroecology transition and fulfil ALL visions.

 

Monitoring and evaluation is a valuable component in the co-designing process where the AE-I establishes a feedback loop, engaging farmers and government stakeholders in participatory monitoring and evaluation. This ongoing exercise analyzes various indicators across different experimental treatments, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness and suitability of these approaches within the agricultural context. This continuous analysis leads to further co-designing of tailored solutions for facilitating the agroecology transition.

Farmers and stakeholders from AGRITEX welcomed and appreciated the co-designing process, as they felt empowered by the entire process. They expressed how it gives them ownership of the technologies being implemented through the AE-I project.

The success of the AE-I in the Mbire and Murehwa districts hinges on active participation and collaboration among FSAs. By continuously evaluating and integrating feedback on innovations and addressing challenges through context-specific interventions, the initiative is paving the way for adopting agroecological practices in farming, enhancing the resilience of local food systems.

This original piece was written by Craig E. Murazhi, Telma Sibanda, Dorcas Matangi, and Vimbayi G. P. Chimonyo.

Eight-year study in India by CGIAR and ICAR scientists suggests adoption of Conservation Agriculture can boost yields and manage an increasing carbon footprint

Written by Nima Chodon on . Posted in Publications.

Twenty-twenty four is set to become one of the hottest years on record. Warmer temperatures are destabilizing ecosystems, threatening human life, and weakening our food systems. On Earth Overshoot Day, CIMMYT calls for increased attention to the interplay between environmental health and efficient, abundant food production through sustainable practices.

Food systems are one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for one-third of all human-caused GHG emissions. While contributing to climate change, food production is also sorely impacted by it, undermining agrarian livelihoods and the ability to feed an increasing global population. Extreme and unpredictable weather is causing economic hardship, food and nutrition insecurity, and use of environmentally harmful practices.

In the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India, rice and wheat are the dominant staple crops, grown yearly in rotations covering more than 13 million hectares. But conventional tillage-based methods have been unable to increase yields. Some of these traditional methods based on intensive tillage have harmed the soil, exhausted aquifers, and increased GHG emissions, without raising crop yields. CGIAR soil and climate scientists and agronomists have partnered to find solutions that help increase rice and wheat production, while minimizing harmful environmental effects.

One of the CA-based practice research fields at ICAR-CSSRI. (Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT)

At CIMMYT, we interviewed a group of CGIAR scientists who recently published a long-term study on sustainable intensification in the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains. Their work, conducted at the Central Soil and Salinity Research Institute (ICAR-CSSRI) in Karnal, India, demonstrates how integrating Conservation Agriculture (CA)-based principles into cropping systems can support climate-resilient and sustainable food systems.

“Today, agriculture faces many challenges, such as increasing input costs to maintain yield in the face of climate change and ensuring the sustainability of agricultural land,” said Mahesh Gathala, senior scientist at CIMMYT.

He mentioned that the collaborative research spanned over eight years, covering various crops and cropping cycles, and studying seven scenarios representing different farming practices. One scenario was based on farmers’ existing practices, while the other six involved combining and integrating the agronomic management practices and crop diversification options based on CA principles. The team collected data on yield, profitability, soil health, global warming potential, and fertilizer use, to name critical factors.

Gathala highlighted, “The findings are consistent with our previous research conclusions, while reinforcing the significant compounding impact of Conservation Agriculture-based cropping practices in the region, in the long-run.”

According to M.L. Jat, a former CIMMYT scientist who is global director for ICRISAT’s Resilient Farm and Food Systems Program, the CA-based measures that emerged from this research are applicable in much of the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains and beyond.

“Most of our research trials over some 2-5 years have provided substantial evidence in favor of Conservation Agriculture-based cropping diversification and sustainable intensification,” Jat said. “However, this study is one of very few long-term, collaborative research trials that provide strong evidence for policy decisions on resilient, climate-smart cropping system optimization to boost yields and nutrition, while improving soil health and fighting climate change.”

Other lead authors of the publication, Timothy Krupnik, principal scientist at CIMMYT and CGIAR South Asia, and Tek Sapkota, the Climate Change Science lead at CIMMYT, provided further explanation of important lessons from this eight-year study.

Two CA-based practice research scenarios at ICAR-CSSRI. (Photo: Nima Chodon/CIMMYT)
How does CA contribute to the sustainable and conscious use of natural resources? In what ways could CA be framed to governments to develop policies that do a better job of feeding us nutritious food while contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation?

Tek Sapkota: Conservation Agriculture promotes the production of nutritious, diversified crops, sustainable yield improvements, climate change adaptation, economic benefits, and environmental protection. Governments can support these initiatives through financial incentives, subsidies, investment in research and extension services, and the development of supporting infrastructure and market access. This support further enables farmers to implement and benefit from sustainable agricultural practices.

CIMMYT and CGIAR-led projects in South Asia, like CSISA/SRFSI/TAFFSA, have already recorded some wins for CA implementation. What are some immediate implications of this study on CIMMYT’s ability to deliver this knowledge to more smallholders in the region?

Timothy Krupnik: The ICAR-CIMMYT partnership establishes long-term experiments, or living labs, across diverse ecologies to build trust among smallholder farmers, extension workers, and stakeholders. These initiatives aim to demonstrate CA’s benefits, as part of sustainable intensification. The science-based evidence generated will be co-owned by partners, through their extension networks, and shared with farm communities to highlight CA’s advantages. Additionally, the study supports reducing carbon footprints, contributing to climate change mitigation and sustainable agricultural practices and potentially used by carbon market players to disseminate CA.

Apart from climate resilience, could you explain what are the economic benefits of diversification in the rice-wheat dominant systems?

Tek Sapkota: Diversifying away from rice-wheat cropping systems provides significant economic benefits beyond climate resilience. It enhances income stability, improves resource use efficiency, maintains soil health, reduces production costs (such as irrigation expenses and water usage), and opens up new market opportunities. Diversification contributes to the creation of more sustainable and profitable farming systems.

How can CGIAR and national agricultural research and extension systems promote more widespread adoption of these technologies by farmers in South Asia and beyond?

Tek Sapkota: By establishing a multi-stakeholder platform for learning, knowledge sharing, and developing adoption pathways, CGIAR Research Centers could work together with national partners to create programs that support capacity building and knowledge transfer. Another crucial step would be to collaboratively adapt and customize the technology to local production conditions ensuring smooth implementation at the grassroots level. Additionally, it is important to encourage innovations in policies, markets, institutions and financial mechanisms to facilitate scaling.

Read excerpts of the full journal article: Enhancing productivity, soil health, and reducing global warming potential through diverse conservation agriculture cropping systems in India’s Western Indo-Gangetic Plains

Sowing seeds of change to champion Conservation Agriculture

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Blogs.

Florence Mutize’s thriving fields of maize, in Bindura, a small town in Mashonaland Central region of Zimbabwe, serve as living proof of the successes of Conservation Agriculture (CA), a sustainable cropping system that helps reverse soil degradation, augment soil health, increase crop yields, and reduce labor requirements while helping farmers adapt to climate change. The seeds of her hard work are paying off, empowering her family through education and ensuring that a nutritious meal is always within reach.

“I have been dedicated to these CA trials since 2004, starting on a small plot,” said Mutize. “Now, with years of experience and adaptation to changing climates, I’ve seen my yields increase significantly, harvesting up to a tonne of maize on a 30 by 30m plot using direct seeding and ripping techniques together with crop residue to cover the soil and rotating maize with soybean.”

Mutize is one of many mother trial host farmers implementing CA principles through the CGIAR Ukama Ustawi regional initiative in Bindura. A mother trial is a research approach involving testing and validating a suite of climate-smart agriculture technologies to identify the best-performing ones which can then be adopted on a larger scale.

Nestled in the Mazowe valley, Bindura experiences a subtropical climate characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, ideal for agricultural production. But the extremes of the changing climate, like imminent dry spells and El Niño-induced threats, are endangering local farmers. Yet, smallholder farmers like Mutize have weathered the extremes and continued conducting mother trials, supported by the agriculture extension officers of the Agricultural and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) Department of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.

“Where I once harvested only five bags of maize, rotating maize with soybeans now yields 40 bags of maize and 10 bags of soybeans,” Mutize proudly shares.

The UU-supported CA program also extends to farmers in Shamva, like Elphas Chinyanga, another mother trial implementer since 2004.

Elphas Chinyanga and his son inspect maize cobs in their field. (Photo: CIMMYT)

“From experimenting with various fertilization methods to introducing mechanized options like ripping and direct seeding, these trials have continuously evolved,” said Chinyanga. “Learning from past experiences, we have gotten much more benefits and we have incorporated these practices into other fields beyond the trial area. I am leaving this legacy to my children to follow through and reap the rewards.”

Learning has been a crucial element in the dissemination of CA technologies, with CIMMYT implementing refresher training together with ARDAS officers to ensure that farmers continue to learn CA principles. As learning is a progressive cycle, it is important to package knowledge in a way that fits into current training and capacity development processes.

Pre-season refresher training with mother trial host farmers and extension in Hereford, Zimbabwe. (Photo: CIMMYT)

This process could also be labelled as “scaling deep” as it encourages farmers to move away from conventional agriculture technologies. Reciprocally, scientists have been learning from the experiences of farmers on the ground to understand what works and what needs improvement.

Inspired by the successes of his peers in Shamva, Hendrixious Zvomarima joined the program as a host farmer and saw a significant increase in yields and efficiency on his land.

“For three years, I have devoted time to learn and practice what other farmers like Elphas Chinyanga were practicing. It has been 14 years since joining, and this has been the best decision I have made as it has improved my yields while boosting my family’s food basket,” said Zvomarima.

The longevity and success of the initiative can be attributed to committed farmers like Mutize, Chinyanga, and Zvomarima, who have been part of the program since 2004 and are still executing the trials. Farmer commitment, progressive learning, and cultivating team spirit have been the success factors in implementing these trials. CIMMYT’s long-term advocacy and learning from the farmers has been key to a more sustainable, resilient, and empowered farming community.

Enhancing the resilience of our farmers and our food systems: global collaboration at DialogueNEXT

Written by Mike Listman on . Posted in Features.

“Achieving food security by mid-century means producing at least 50 percent more food,” said U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security, Cary Fowler, citing a world population expected to reach 9.8 billion and suffering the dire effects of violent conflicts, rising heat, increased migration, and dramatic reductions in land and water resources and biodiversity. “Food systems need to be more sustainable, nutritious, and equitable.”

CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy aims to build a diverse coalition of partners to lead the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems. This approach addresses factors influencing global development, plant health, food production, and the environment. At DialogueNEXT, CIMMYT and its network of partners showcased successful examples and promising directions for bolstering agricultural science and food security, focusing on poverty reduction, nutrition, and practical solutions for farmers.

Without healthy crops or soils, there is no food

CIMMYT’s MasAgro program in Mexico has enhanced farmer resilience by introducing high-yielding crop varieties, novel agricultural practices, and income-generation activities. Mexican farmer Diodora Petra Castillo Fajas shared how CIMMYT interventions have benefitted her family. “Our ancestors taught us to burn the stover, degrading our soils. CIMMYT introduced Conservation Agriculture, which maintains the stover and traps more humidity in the soil, yielding more crops with better nutritional properties,” she explained.

CIMMYT and African partners, in conjunction with USAID’s Feed the Future, have begun applying the MasAgro [1] model in sub-Saharan Africa through the Feed the Future Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I), where as much as 80 percent of cultivated soils are poor, little or no fertilizer is applied, rainfed maize is the most widespread crop, many households lack balanced diets, and erratic rainfall and high temperatures require different approaches to agriculture and food systems.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and CIMMYT are partnering to carry out the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) movement in Africa and Central America. This essential movement for transforming food systems endorsed by the G7 focuses on crop improvement and soil health. VACS will invest in improving and spreading 60 indigenous “opportunity” crops—such as sorghum, millet, groundnut, pigeon pea, and yams, many of which have been grown primarily by women—to enrich soils and human diets together with the VACS Implementers’ Group, Champions, and Communities of Practice.

The MasAgro methodology has been fundamental in shaping the Feed the Future Southern Africa Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I) Rapid Delivery Hub, an effort between government agencies, private, and public partners, including CGIAR. AID-I provides farmers with greater access to markets and extension services for improved seeds and crop varieties. Access to these services reduces the risk to climate and socioeconomic shocks and improves food security, economic livelihoods, and overall community resilience and prosperity.

Healthy soils are critical for crop health, but crops must also contain the necessary genetic traits to withstand extreme weather, provide nourishment, and be marketable. CIMMYT holds the largest maize and wheat gene bank, supported by the Crop Trust, offering untapped genetic material to develop more resilient varieties from these main cereal grains and other indigenous crops. Through the development of hardier and more adaptable varieties, CIMMYT and its partners commit to implementing stronger delivery systems to get improved seeds for more farmers. This approach prioritizes biodiversity conservation and addresses major drivers of instability: extreme weather, poverty, and hunger.

Food systems must be inclusive to combat systemic inequities

Successful projects and movements such as MasAgro, VACS, and AID-I are transforming the agricultural landscape across the Global South. But the urgent response required to reduce inequities and the needed investment to produce more nutritious food with greater access to cutting-edge technologies demands inclusive policies and frameworks like CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy.

“In Latin America and throughout the world, there is still a huge gap between the access of information and technology,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Livestock of Honduras, Laura Elena Suazo Torres. “Civil society and the public and private sectors cannot have a sustainable impact if they work opposite to each other.”

Ismahane Elouafi, CGIAR executive managing director, emphasized that agriculture does not face, “a lack of innovative science and technology, but we’re not connecting the dots.” CIMMYT offers a pathway to bring together a system of partners from various fields—agriculture, genetic resources, crop breeding, and social sciences, among others—to address the many interlinked issues affecting food systems, helping to bring agricultural innovations closer to farmers and various disciplines to solve world hunger.

While healthy soils and crops are key to improved harvests, ensuring safe and nutritious food production is critical to alleviating hunger and inequities in food access. CIMMYT engages with private sector stakeholders such as Bimbo, GRUMA, Ingredion, Syngenta, Grupo Trimex, PepsiCo, and Heineken, to mention a few, to “link science, technology, and producers,” and ensure strong food systems, from the soils to the air and water, to transform vital cereals into safe foods to consume, like fortified bread and tortillas.

Reduced digital gaps can facilitate knowledge-sharing to scale-out improved agricultural practices like intercropping. The Rockefeller Foundation and CIMMYT have “embraced the complexity of diversity,” as mentioned by Roy Steiner, senior vice-president, through investments in intercropping, a crop system that involves growing two or more crops simultaneously and increases yields, diversifies diets, and provides economic resilience. CIMMYT has championed these systems in Mexico, containing multiple indicators of success from MasAgro.

Today, CIMMYT collaborates with CGIAR and Total LandCare to train farmers in southern and eastern Africa on the intercrop system with maize and legumes i.e., cowpea, soybean, and jack bean. CIMMYT also works with WorldVeg, a non-profit organization dedicated to vegetable research and development, to promote intercropping in vegetable farming to ensure efficient and safe production and connect vegetable farmers to markets, giving them more sources for greater financial security.

Conflict aggravates inequities and instability. CIMMYT leads the Feed the Future Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) which aims to deliver latest knowledge and technology to small scale producers to increase agricultural productivity, strengthen local and regional value chains, and enhance community resilience in war-torn countries like Sudan. CIMMYT has developed a strong partnership funded by USAID with ADRA, CIP, CRS, ICRISAT, IFDC, IFPRI, ILRI, Mercy Corps, Near East Foundation, Samaritan’s Purse, Syngenta Foundation, VSF, and WorldVeg, to devise solutions for Sudanese farmers. SASAS has already unlocked the potential of several well-suited vegetables and fruits like potatoes, okra, and tomatoes. These crops not only offer promising yields through improved seeds, but they encourage agricultural cooperatives, which promote income-generation activities, gender-inclusive practices, and greater access to diverse foods that bolster family nutrition. SASAS also champions livestock health providing food producers with additional sources of economic resilience.

National governments play a critical role in ensuring that vulnerable populations are included in global approaches to strengthen food systems. Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Victor Villalobos, shared examples of how government intervention and political will through people-centered policies provides greater direct investment to agriculture and reduces poverty, increasing shared prosperity and peace. “Advances must help to reduce gaps in development.” Greater access to improved agricultural practices and digital innovation maintains the field relevant for farmers and safeguards food security for society at large. Apart from Mexico, key government representatives from Bangladesh, Brazil, Honduras, India, and Vietnam reaffirmed their commitment to CIMMYT’s work.

Alice Ruhweza, senior director at the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, and Maria Emilia Macor, an Argentinian farmer, agreed that food systems must adopt a holistic approach. Ruhweza called it, “The great food puzzle, which means that one size does not fit all. We must integrate education and infrastructure into strengthening food systems and development.” Macor added, “The field must be strengthened to include everyone. We all contribute to producing more food.”

Generating solutions, together

In his closing address, which took place on World Population Day 2024, CIMMYT Director General Bram Govaerts thanked the World Food Prize for holding DialogueNEXT in Mexico and stressed the need for all partners to evolve, while aligning capabilities. “We have already passed several tipping points and emergency measures are needed to avert a global catastrophe,” he said. “Agrifood systems must adapt, and science has to generate solutions.”

Through its network of research centers, governments, private food producers, universities, and farmers, CIMMYT uses a multidisciplinary approach to ensure healthier crops, safe and nutritious food, and the dissemination of essential innovations for farmers. “CIMMYT cannot achieve these goals alone. We believe that successful cooperation is guided by facts and data and rooted in shared values, long-term commitment, and collective action. CIMMYT’s 2030 Strategy goes beyond transactional partnership and aims to build better partnerships through deeper and more impactful relationships. I invite you to partner with us to expand this collective effort together,” concluded Govaerts.

[1] Leveraging CIMMYT leadership, science, and partnerships and the funding and research capacity of Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry (SADER) during 2010-21, the program known as “MasAgro” helped over 300,000 participating farmers to adopt improved maize and wheat varieties and resource-conserving practices on more than 1 million hectares of farmland in 30 states of Mexico.

Visual summaries by Reilly Dow.

Unlocking Zambia’s maize potential through crop diversity

Written by Julian Bañuelos-Uribe on . Posted in Publications.

While maize is the primary staple food crop in Zambia, its productivity on farmers’ fields reaches on average only about 20 percent of what it could achieve with good agronomic practices. Some reasons for this inefficiency are use of traditional varieties, low fertilizer use, and ineffective weed and pest control.

Closing the gap between potential and realized yields would have major benefits for farmers in Zambia, both in terms of income and food security at the household and national levels. One possibility to increase maize productivity is by increasing crop diversity through the inclusion of legumes in maize-based farming systems. This could be done through intercropping, growing legumes in the rows between maize plants, or crop rotations and alternating maize and legumes in the same field from season to season.

CIMMYT scientists, along with collaborators from the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) and the University of Zambia’s School of Agricultural Science, set out to determine which cropping systems might lead to increased productivity for maize farmers in Zambia and their results were published in the journal Field Crops Research.

“There is great potential in Zambia to increase yields to help ensure food security,” said Mulundu Mwila, PhD candidate and scientist at ZARI. “We wanted to determine the cropping systems that offered the most benefits.”

Setting up the study

For this research, ZARI and CIMMYT scientists established maize-based cropping systems trials, comprising maize monocropping, and maize-legume rotations and intercrops under both ‘conventional’ tillage, and Conservation Agriculture, across 40 farms in a variety of agroecological zones in Zambia.  The team also conducted household surveys in the same communities hosting the on-farm trials to determine the share of households with enough cultivated land to benefit from the tested cropping systems.

Researchers found that the tested cropping systems produced more maize per hectare compared to non-trial host farms in the same region. The greatest positive effect uncovered was that maize-legume rotations in Zambia’s Eastern Province had the potential to increase maize yield by 1 to 2 tons per hectare, per growing season. “The Eastern Province trials showed better results because of stable and adequate rainfall amounts and distribution and because of using groundnut as a rotation crop,” said Mwila.

Researchers attributed the small effect of legumes on maize yield in the Southern Province to low levels of biomass production and nitrogen fixation, due to low and erratic rainfall, and to low residue incorporation because of livestock grazing. Conversely, the small effect of legumes on maize yield in the Northern Province might be attributed to the high rainfall amount in the region, leading to high rates of leaching of residual nitrogen during the growing season as well as the use of common beans as the preceding crop.

Finding the right amount of land

With evidence showing the potential benefits of maize-legume rotations, the availability of land is a constraint for small farms across sub-Saharan Africa, thus it is important to quantify the land area needed for farmers to implement maize-legume rotations.

“Our findings match prior research showing the benefits of maize-legume rotations in Eastern Zambia” said Silva. “However, implementing maize-legume rotations remains a challenge for many smallholders due to small farm sizes.”

Nearly 35, 50, and 70% of the surveyed farms in the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Provinces, respectively, had enough land to achieve the same level of maize production obtained on their farm with the yields of the maize-legume rotations tested in the on-farm trials. “With our findings showing increased maize yields, and our efforts to determine the amount of land needed for food and nutrition security at household level, the next steps can be to facilitate methods to disseminate this information to policy makers and to farmers that have enough land area to benefit from diversified cropping systems,” said Silva.

For farmers with not enough land to reap the benefits of maize-legume rotations, intercropping legumes within the maize has shown promising results. The researchers also call for further research to specify the contributing factors to small farms not seeing benefits from maize-legume rotations.